Is Mr. KM Roy (Mangalam) a Paid News Editor: A Sreesanth of Media?

Media is considered as the Fourth Estate in a democracy, along with Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. The reason given such status to the media is that

Message 1 of 2
, May 20, 2013

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Media is considered as the Fourth Estate in a democracy, along with
Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. The reason given such status to
the media is that it is to be impartial and should publicise the omission
and commission of the other three in front of the people, so that each
organ is expected to act independently. However, recently the honourable
Supreme Court of India and the Indian Parliament raised concern about the
impartiality of some of the media people about paid news reporting or
“fixing” in favour of vested interest and corporate lobbies, ignoring the
ethics of the Third Estate. In Kerala, there is a genuine reason to
suspect that Mr. K.M. Roy of Mangalam has become one of the “paid” news
editor contrary to the believe of ethics in journalism, by expressing his
partisan approach in the Malankara Church dispute.

Traditionally, among the Kerala media, Manorama is considered as the
mouth-piece of MOSC, because of the free gift of large property (where in
Manorama Kottayam HQ is situated), which was under the control of the
united Church (pre-1912), by Vattasseril Thirumeni for getting Mamman
Mappilai’ s support to HG’s revolt against the Patriarch of Antioch. Ever
since that Manoram’s main job is to promote Orthodox Church in Kerala.
Mathrubhumi is a newspaper generally brings out the cause of Hindus, but
takes independent stand in the church dispute. While Mangalam had taken
favourable position for the Jacobites until recently, but now it has become
a major proponent of IOC, especially IOC office bearers like Muthoot George
and Konattu Achan. Any statement of Konattu Achan to criticize Jacobites
gets big importance in Mangalam than in Manorama, be it about Piravam
Pally case, Kolenchery, Kadamattom, or Mamallassery incident. In the last
one year Konnattu Achan’s two articles about the importance of the MOSC
Catholicate have been published in Mangalam to ‘educate” Jacobite readers,
and also to expand MOSC’s position on the Patriarch of Antioch in central
Kerala. Anyway it is upto the owners of Mangalam and the chief editor
regarding what kind of news should come in the newspaper and they have
hundred per cent freedom to choose reporting news. I have no problem of
their reporting strategy whether it is about IOC or Jacobites.

But the reason why I am writing this message is that Mr Roy’s editorial
article appeared in Mangalam Daily of May 20 criticises the Jacobite church
in cahooting with CBI to exonerate Fr. Varghese Thekkekara in the Malankara
Varghese‘s case and giving publicity to MOSC’s stand on the issue. In the
article actually he analyses the issue of the autonomy of CBI. Today CBI is
being criticized left and right of its “impartiality” in cases and its
relationship with central government. And recently the honorable SC has
given its opinion that CBI should be an autonomous body and Mr. Roy’s
article is about the current situation of CBI and its snail-like approach
towards various cases. And Mr. Roy gives two case examples CBI investigated
in Kerala and its current status.

Interestingly, the two examples are cases related to Christian churches and
the external influences in investigating the case. One is Abhaya case and
another is Malankara Varghese case and he elaborated it in two paras.
However, he restricted the Abhaya case in one sentence of the two paras,
but raising question about CBI’s position in Malankara Varghese case in
rest of the part (http://epaper.mangalam.com/index.php?edition=2&dated=2013-05-20&page=8 ).

Actually what is the central argument and concern of Mr. Roy he wants to
project in this article? The need for an autonoums/independent CBI or CBI
is not followed the diktats of MOSC leadership and arrest Jacobite
Catholicose HB Thomas I and put HB in Poojappura central jail. If the
former is his genuine concern then he should have raised social issues like
Kiliroor-Kaviyoor case in which two young girls were cheated, raped and
being killed, and the alleged culprits are the people who occupy higher
position in society, including the sons of two former misters. Another case
is Sambath case where in one CBI officer has committed suicide because of
the internal and external influence and senior IPS officer is the alleged
culprit. Then there is the Shaseendran (Malabar Cements) death case, which
is high profile because of the political-bureaucratic-contractor mafia’s
involvement in it. And also the perverted son of MOSC trustee is being
brutally killed by goondas and CBI is dragging the case by seeking
“extensions” from the court instead of closing the report.

For Mr. Roy these are not a concern while analyzing CBI’s autonomy, rather
his problem is one Jacobite priest is still living freely, whose name is
there in the charge sheet of Malankara Varghese case. Roy makes an
observation that the priest is not arrested because of the external
involvement (read Jacobite church leadership) over CBI. Why is he so
concerned about the Malankara Varghese case than any of the above-mentioned
cases.

All this raises genuine suspicion that he has been a “paid” editor writing
in favour of IOC leadership.

Joshy Paul
New Delhi

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Vatachal Thomas John

I have been holding Mr.K M Roy in high esteem as he covered the enthronement of H H The Patriarch of Antioch & All the East Moran Mor Ignatius Zakha

Message 2 of 2
, May 21, 2013

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I have been holding Mr.K M Roy in high esteem as he covered the enthronement of H H The Patriarch of Antioch & All the East Moran Mor Ignatius Zakha Iwas First and gave a wonderful news report in the print media even as a Monk of the IO Church by name V Rev Fr Lazarus Ramban gave a distorted report..

Mr K M Roy rediculed the Monk with the following words (my translation)

LAZERUS WAS DEAD AND OUR LORD RAISED HIM FROM THE TOMB AFTER

THREE DAYS. THIS LAZERUS IS SPIRITUALLY DEAD AND WILL NOT REGAIN

SPIRITUAL LIFE EVEN IF OUR OUR LORD CALLS HIM TO SPIRITUAL LIFE

V T John ID 3985

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